RAF - Operation Chastise_new Operation Chastise Attack on Ruhr Dams by aircraft of 617 Squadron on the night of 16-17 May 1943 Concept: The Air Ministry originally considered the Ruhr dams as a possible target early as 1937. A number of proposals and studies were undertaken between 1938 and 1941, though none produced a proper plan with all the necessary components of a viable weapon and feasible means of delivery. Command: Wing Commander Guy Gibson The Squadron: A new squadron was formed at Scampton on 21st March 1943, initially known as “X” Squadron and latterly as 617 Squadron, and the 24 year old Wing Commander Guy Gibson was personally selected to lead it by none other than Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur “Bomber” Harris, the Commander-in-Chief of Bomber Command. Gibson had flown 71 bomber sorties and an entire tour of 99 sorties on night fighters and was already the holder of four gallantry awards - the Distinguished Service Order and bar and the Distinguished Flying Cross and bar.

Despite the “elite” tag and the presence of some very experienced airmen – e.g. the two flight commanders, Sqn Ldrs Dinghy’ Young and ‘Henry Maudslay, and experienced pilots such as Dave Shannon, ‘Hoppy’ Hopgood, Les Knight and Joe McCarthy - NOT all 617 Sqn air crew were veterans. Some had flown fewer than 10 missions and one less than 5 and some of the flight engineers on the raid were flying their first operational sortie. Not all had volunteered for 617, and not all were known to or selected by Gibson: one entire flight of 57 Squadron was simply posted en masse to 617 Squadron. The Weapon: Codenamed “Upkeep” The brainchild of Barnes Wallis of Vickers Armstrong, who had been working separately on some method of attacking dasince 1940 but probably did not conceive of the “bouncing bomb” idea until March 1942. He was given access and assistance by a variety of research bodies, including the National Physical Laboratories at Teddington, the Road Research Laboratory at Harmondsworth and the Building Research Station at Garston near Watford.

Experiments which involved exploding charges against model dams at these sites, and the destruction of a real 180 foot disused dam in Wales, gave Wallis valuable data, but also showed that the task was far from easy and that any explosion preferably needed to take place in contact with the dam wall. He persisted with a series of experiments and meanwhile attempted to persuade the powers that be of the project’s viability in the face of various bureaucratic hurdles and military scepticism. Nevertheless, prior to final approval on February 26th 1943 a full-scale weapon was, in the words of one noted historian, “scarcely more than an inventor’s dream”. However, because the optimum time to attack the dams was in the spring, when the reservoirs were full, when approval did come it left very little time to design and produce the weapons themselves. On 26th February 1943 there were neither modified aircraft nor weapons, nor drawings of either. Wallis began to draw the first full-scale drawing of an Upkeep mine only on 27th February, just eleven weeks before the raid took place.

“Upkeep “was effectively a 9250lb cylindrical mine or depth charge containing 6,600 lbs of Torpex underwater explosive and three hydrostatic pistols set to explode at 30ft below the surface. It was just under five feet long and just over four feet in diameter. The mine was held in the bomb-bay between twin sprung callipers, and a hydraulic motor imparted back spin at a rate of 500 rpm. The mine was intended to bounce across the water rather like a skipping stone, thus avoiding any torpedo nets. When it struck the dam wall the backspin would cause it to remain in contact with the face of the dam as it sank thus focusing the force of the explosion against the wall sufficient to rupture the massive stone structure. Aircraft: Modified Avro Lancaster B Mk III Special known as “Type 464 Provisioning”. The mid-upper gun turret along with the bomb-bay doors was removed and callipers along with a drive motor and belt fitted in the aircraft to hold and spin the bomb. Twin spotlights were fitted [see below] along with VHF radio telephone which allowed direct speech communication between aircraft, which was not normal for bomber aircraft at the time.

This would allow Wg Cdr Gibson personally to direct the raid. The final approval to start modifying just three Lancasters to conduct experiments came only on 26th February 1943 with conversion sets to be prepared for thirty, later reduced to twenty, aircraft. The first plans for the necessary modifications being drawn up on 1st March and the order for the conversion of the first aircraft being signed on 8th March. The Role of Industry With such short timescales the firms involved, some of them natural rivals, had to co-operate or the project would be stillborn. Under the direction of the Chief Designer, Roy Chadwick, Avros set to work on modifying the three Lancasters and making the additional conversion sets, whilst Vickers-Armstrong in Barrow and Newcastle made the mine casings and the small drive engine for spinning the bombs. The Royal Ordnance Factory at Chorley in Lancashire would fill the casings with the torpex explosive. The Oxley Engineering company provided the steel for the “Upkeep” mines and the Hoffman Manufacturing company made the bearings for the drive mechanism.

All these components and modifications had to be designed, manufactured and delivered in the eighty days between the 26th February and 17th May. The first modified Lancasters were delivered on 8th April and the last on 13th May just three days before the raid, and one aircraft used on the raid had been used in the experimental trials and arrived at Scampton only on the day itself. Vickers Armstrong at Barrow delivered the last of its fifty “Upkeep” mines to Chorley for filling with explosive on 9th April. Trials After initial trials dropping scaled down prototype weapons from a Wellington at Chesil Beach (Dec 1942 – March 1943), modified Lancasters were utilised during April and May to fly a series of tests dropping inert Upkeeps at Reculver on the Kent coast. The first trial drop was made on 13th April, just over a month before the raid. The mines were dropped at varying height and speed and differing bomb rotation speeds while Wallis attempted to work out the optimum approach height and speed for the raid.

He also had to establish that spinning a massive four ton cylinder at several hundred rpm would neither rip it from the calliper arms, nor seriously affect the aircraft’s flying characteristics. These trials also established that the original design of the “Upkeep”, which included a spherical outer wooden casing held in place by metal rings like a beer barrel, was not robust enough to survive initial impact with the water. Although designed to make sure the mine would bounce for a greater distance, and run true, the wooden outer sphere repeatedly shattered leaving just the inner metal cylinder which had often continued bouncing along the surface during the trials after the casing broke away. On 21st April Wallis decided to dispense with the wooden casing and run “Upkeep” as a bare cylinder. The disadvantage was that if a cylindrical “Upkeep” was dropped on any plane but the horizontal it was likely to bite into the water on one side and either not bounce as well or go off line, or both. Even the cylinders, however, broke up and sank if they were dropped from too great a height or speed. On 24th April Wallis asked Gibson if he could drop the mine at 60’ and 232 miles per hour.

At this speed and if it was dropped at the right distance, the mine would survive the impact with the water, the aircraft would be clear of the splash as it hit the surface, the weapon would carry all the way to the dam, and the aircraft would be flying fast enough to have some chance of getting through the defences. Air crew and Training: Number of air crew participating - 133 Number killed – 53 Number PoW: 3 RAF – 90; Royal Canadian Air Force – 29; Royal Australian Air Force – 12; Royal New Zealand Air Force – 2. Included in these figures were one American [RCAF] and one Anglo-American [RAF] and one Australian in the RAF. The crews, who had trained to operate their bombers at heights above 15000’, with a measured approach to the target allowing accurate navigation, were put through an intensive training programme involving extensive low-level flying and cross-country navigation eventually moving on to do the same thing at night, flying at 150’ over water, along with bombing practice.

However, night-flying at that height with no moon was a a major problem and there were not enough moonlit nights, so four aircraft were fitted with an American system involving sheets of blue celluloid inside the Perspex and orange goggles, which gave the impression of moonlight when flying in the day. The aircraft flew very low, returning with dents and bits of foliage hanging off them and on at least two occasions birds smashed through the cockpit windscreens which could have been disastrous. However, despite many close shaves there were no serious accidents. Attack Method This varied depending on the type of dam. For the Mohne and Eder aircraft approached at SIXTY feet above the water IN THE DARK flying at 220 mph. For the earthen Sorpe dam aircraft flew along the dam very low at 180 mph and dropped the bomb, without spin, in the water alongside the middle of the dam. The barometric altimeters were not sensitive enough to give that accurate a reading and in any case the pilot could not look at the instrument panel at that height for fear of hitting the water.

The aircraft therefore carried two spotlights which were angled so that when the beams met on the surface of the water the aircraft was flying at sixty feet, roughly twice the height of a normal house. The navigator watched the beams and called out “up” or “down” to the pilot. Flying very fast and very low with no modern radar aids with lights burning on your aircraft to show the enemy where you were was extremely hazardous. The wingspan of a Lancaster is 102’ so there was a real danger of hitting the water as the aircraft made the tight turns on the approaches to the dams. At the Eder and Sorpe the topography of the surrounding countryside with steep hills and the dams in the valleys made the approach in the dark to drop the bomb accurately in a large bomber very, very difficult. At the Eder the aircraft had to drop down from over 1000 feet to the lake and fly a curving approach hopping over a spit of land which rose to 50 feet less than a mile from the target, and then line up at the correct height and speed, before pulling up steeply to avoid the 300 feet hill which rose precipitously immediately behind the dam.

To get the Lancaster down to 60 feet round and over the spit and lined up properly at right angles to the dam at 220 mph, and then make a climbing turn to getaway in the dark, was very challenging flying. At the Sorpe the aircraft had to fly over a 180-foot hill and dip down steeply to the dam just a quarter of a mile beyond to fly along and drop the bomb before climbing out using full power over another 300-foot hill immediately behind the dam. To make matters even more difficult a tall church steeple was exactly in line with the correct line of approach to the dam. The approach at the Mohne was slightly less daunting but still involved lifting the aircraft over a spit of land which rose to some 180 feet, but did provide some cover from the flak, and then dropping down to the surface of the lake to line up on the dam about a mile away. After dropping the mine the aircraft crossed the dam and then the pilot had to turn the big bomber round to the left away from flak positions to the right. Outward Flight to Target The route to and from dams was also flown at very low level to avoid the defences.

Their primitive radio navigation aids were usually jammed over enemy territory though some apparently worked up to the River Rhine – most navigation after crossing the Dutch coast was done by map reading and dead reckoning. This was extremely difficult at low level in moonlight, and very dangerous – two, aircraft hit power cables and crashed, and one hit the surface of the sea, lost its bomb and was very lucky to make it back to Scampton. Some aircraft flew beneath power cables on their way to the target and others flew along roads below the level of the surrounding trees. Others strayed off course by just a few miles, which it was almost impossible to avoid doing, but the route had been designed to avoid flak defences, though not all were known, and some of the unlucky ones who strayed in the wrong place were shot down. Three waves of aircraft were sent to attack. First Wave – 9 aircraft in 3 “vics” of 3. To attack the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams. Aircraft Captains: Gibson, Martin, Hopgood; Young, Shannon, Maltby; Maudslay, Knight, Astell. Second Wave – 5 aircraft. To attack the Sorpe.

Aircraft Captains: Barlow, Munro, Rice, Byers, McCarthy. Third Wave – 5 aircraft. Airborne reserve. Aircraft Captains: Ottley, Burpee, Brown, Townsend, Anderson. Despatched: 19 Attacking dam: 11 Lost: 8 Aborted mission: 2 The waves followed different routes and the second wave actually took off first as it had the longest route. The weather produced stronger winds than forecast and this caused serious problems for the second wave, which actually crossed the Dutch coast first. Unforecast winds had pushed the aircraft south of their intended track. One aircraft, that of Byers, strayed over the heavily defended island of Texel, rather than the intended landfall at the apparently undefended but similar looking island of Vlieland. Byers’ aircraft was shot down and the crew were all killed. A short while later Munro’s aircraft flew over Vlieland, but was hit by fire from a flak battery whose presence was not known. Munro’s aircraft was damaged and he was forced to return to Scampton.

A different disaster befell Rice, whose aircraft hit the surface of the sea, ripping the Upkeep mine free and flooding the back of the aircraft with seawater. A shaken but very lucky Rice and crew also returned to Scampton. Some while later Barlow’s aircraft hit power lines, possibly after being struck by flak, and crashed with the loss of all on board. Four out of five aircraft from the second wave had thus been lost or had aborted within a short space of time. The fifth crew, McCarthy’s, had hurriedly had to change aircraft at Scampton because of a technical problem and were flying twenty minutes behind the others in the second wave. They crossed at Vlieland and were fired on but not hit, McCarthy reporting that he sank down to fly between two large dunes to provide cover from the flak! Later in the trip the aircraft was hit by a cannon shell which hit the undercarriage nacelle and burst the starboard tyre.

Red Aircraft (8) were lost, Grey Aircraft (3)turned back and Blue Aircraft (8) made it home The first wave, unlike the second, took-off in vics of three and tried to maintain this loose formation on the way to the target, which was very unusual for a night operation. Like the second wave, some of these aircraft were also pushed off-course and the first vic, led by Gibson, crossed the coast at the ominously and appropriately named island of Overflakee, which was heavily defended. Flying very fast and very low they were luckier than the aircraft of the second wave and caught the Germans by surprise and went across unscathed. The second vic, ten minutes behind, had climbed higher to use their radio aids and discovered the unforecast wind, so were on course. However, climbing to use the radio aids probably exposed them to the German radars, and although they crossed at the right place, the defences were awake and fired on the aircraft. The third trio, Maudslay, Astell and Knight, were on course and crossed the coast unscathed. En route to the Mohne Gibson’s vic came under fire several times and Hopgood’s aircraft was damaged.

- Young’s vic made it to the dam without damage despite being fired on, although Shannon’s aircraft was hit as it arrived at the Mohne by flak from one of the towers on the dam. The third vic was not so lucky and Astell’s aircraft collided with high tension cables north of the Ruhr. The aircraft crashed in flames and all the crew were killed. The third wave took off some time after the first two with the first aircraft taking off shortly after midnight. Each aircraft was detailed to one of the alternative targets and was also to be prepared to attack the Mohne or Eder if they did not receive a direct order in the air to attack the alternative dam. The first aircraft off was Ottley’s, and it was instructed by radio at 0230 to attack the Lister dam, and the message was acknowledged by the aircraft, but two minutes later another message changed this to the Sorpe. No acknowledgement was received. Ottley had strayed over the heavily defended town of Hamm in the Ruhr and his aircraft was hit and caught fire, crashed, and the fuel tanks and then the mine exploded.

Incredibly, the rear gunner, Sergeant Tees was blown clear still inside his turret by one of the explosions and survived, badly burned, to become a PoW. The aircraft’s demise was witnessed by other crews, including that of Gibson who was passing to the north of Hamm on his return journey and who hoped, vainly, that the exploding aircraft was a night fighter. The second aircraft in the wave, piloted by Burpee, also strayed off course, and flew over a German airfield at Gilze-Rijen near Tilburg where it was hit by flak, caught fire and exploded, before crashing on the edge of the airfield, killing all on board. Brown and Townsend were also sorely troubled by flak but survived unscathed, not least by flying below the height of the trees on occasion. The last to leave Scampton was Cyril Anderson, who was also plagued by searchlights and flak which drove him away from his prescribed route and his rear guns also malfunctioned. Deep over enemy territory Anderson and his crew could not pinpoint their position as mist obscured many of the landmarks they were looking for.

Eventually, shortly after three in the morning they abandoned the mission and turned for home to fly back the way they had come whilst it was still dark. The Attacks The Mohne The first dam to be attacked was the Mohne. Gibson flew over the dam once and then informed the other aircraft circling out of range of the flak that he was going to attack. As the aircraft passed over the spit of land, so low that the bomb-aimer told Gibson he was going to hit the trees, the navigator turned on the spotlights and gave Gibson instructions of “down…down” until the aircraft was at 60’, meanwhile the mine was spinning at 500 rpm and the bomb-aimer using the primitive but effective home-made sight waited for the right moment to release the bomb. The flak towers on the dam opened fire and the front-gunner of Gibson’s Lancaster fired back. Gibson admitted to being very frightened as his brightly lit aircraft became the target for every gun in the area but concentrated on keeping the aircraft lined up and rock steady at 60’ while his flight engineer adjusted the speed.

At 28 minutes past midnight they dropped their Upkeep mine at 230 mph on a bearing of 330 degrees. It bounced three times, but sank short of the wall. After a short delay the hydrostatic pistols detonated the bomb at the correct depth and a great spout of water surged up and over the dam wall. At first it was thought the dam had collapsed, but as the water subsided it was seen still to be intact. After allowing the waters of the lake to settle, Gibson called Hopgood in to attack. The flak gunners now knew what to expect and the aircraft was seen to be hit several times on the approach. The bomb-aimer knew that their orders were to be sure to drop the mine correctly and was considering ordering another run when the aircraft was hit. Hopgood ordered the mine to bereleased. This, unsurprisingly, resulted in the bomb being dropped late, and it bounced right over the dam and exploded, wrecking the main power house. Hopgood’s aircraft was on fire and he ordered the crew to bale out as the Lancaster struggled to 500’ and then exploded.

Only the rear gunner and the bomb-aimer baled out successfully and both men had chosen to pull the ripcord of their parachutes inside the aircraft, which undoubtedly saved their lives – all the other crewmembers perished. Martin attacked next, with Gibson flying alongside him to distract the flak gunners, and the mine was dropped at 38 minutes past midnight on a bearing of 335 degrees at 217 mph. It veered to the left and exploded near the bank of the reservoir twenty yards from the dam. Gibson now called up Young. Martin flew on Young’s left to distract the gunners while Gibson flew parallel to the dam on the downstream side hoping to divide the fire from the defences on and beyond the dam. Young made the perfect approach and drop, and his bomb hit the centre of the dam. The dam was apparently intact after the attack, and Maltby was making his bomb run with Martin and Gibson both acting as decoys when he saw the centre of the dam crumbling. Maltby veered to one side and dropped his mine which bounced, struck the dam and exploded.

The dam was already failing before Maltby’s mine exploded, and now millions of gallons of water were pouring through the breach and down the valley and beyond. Gibson, who had already ordered Shannon to prepare to attack, cancelled the order and instructed Shannon, Maudslay, and Knight to accompany him to the Eder dam, along with Young, who was to act as deputy leader if anything happened to Gibson. The Sorpe Meanwhile the sole survivor of the second wave, McCarthy, had arrived at the Sorpe which had been difficult to find because of low mist in the valleys. It was immediately apparent that the approach to the dam was extremely challenging, and so it proved. McCarthy flew the approach nine times but found it difficult to clear the high hill and then bring the Lancaster down low enough, with the church steeple on the approach proving particularly troublesome, and either McCarthy himself or his bomb-aimer were not satisfied that all was right and called for the aircraft to go around again. The other members of the crew became restless as the bomber had now been circuiting the dam for half an hour and they were also puzzled that no other aircraft from the second wave had appeared.

Eventually, on the tenth approach both McCarthy and his bomb-aimer were satisfied that the approach was perfect and dropped the bomb alongside the dam. Two and a half hours later Brown, who had received a radio message directing his aircraft to attack the Sorpe while in the air, arrived at the dam and found that the ground mist was now even thicker. Brown found the approach no easier than McCarthy, and the thickening mist made flying the circuit correctly difficult even though the dam itself was clear, and after flying into a mist-bound nearby valley and nearly crashing he ordered that incendiaries be dropped round the circuit to help him. In all Brown flew five separate approaches before dropping the mine on his sixth attempt. Although both mines exploded close to the dam and caused considerable damage, no breach occurred. The loss of so many from the second wave had seriously weakened the assault on the Sorpe and it survived the attack. The Eder The aircraft flying to the Eder all had difficult finding it in the thickening mists and when Gibson eventually located it he fired a red flare to attract the other crews. As at the Sorpe the approach proved very difficult. Shannon flew three or four approaches without being able to get the Lancaster low enough after the steep dive and sharp turn.

Maudslay then tried twice with similar results. Shannon flew two more approaches before he and his bomb-aimer were satisfied, dropping his mine at 1.39 in the morning. Maudslay then flew down the valley for the third time. The watching Gibson thought that he saw something hanging from the Lancaster as if it had previously been damaged. The mine was released but probably too close to the dam and exploded on hitting the parapet shortly after Maudslay’s aircraft passed over it. It is not clear whether the aircraft was caught in the explosion of its own Upkeep or not, as the eyewitnesses differed. Maudslay made brief and indistinct radio contact with Gibson and is known to have left the area immediately, suggesting his aircraft may indeed have been damaged. Knight attacked next, making one dummy run, before dropping his mine at the correct height, speed and alignment. It hit the dam, sank, and exploded at the correct depth. The dam crumbled and collapsed and the water poured into the valley beyond. The Ennepe/Bever Apart from Brown, the only other aircraft of the third wave to make an attack was Townsend, who believed he dropped his mine at the Ennepe dam.

As with the other dams he found flying the right approach at the right speed and height difficult and made three dummy runs before dropping the weapon on his fourth approach. It exploded short of the dam and no significant damage resulted. It is almost certain that Townsend actually attacked another dam in the area, the Bever, as German sources report an attack on this dam but none on the Ennepe. Homeward Bound Of the nineteen aircraft which left Scampton eleven had made attacks, resulting in breaches at the Mohne and Eder and damage to the Sorpe. Two aircraft had returned early, five had been lost on the outward journey and one at the Mohne dam. The surviving aircraft, including one which could not find its target, still had to make their way home across hundreds of miles of hostile territory. On the return trip two more aircraft were to be shot down. The victims were two of the most senior and experienced members of the Squadron. Maudslay’s aircraft may or may not have been caught in the explosion of its own weapon over the Eder and suffered further damage. Two radio messages were heard from the aircraft after the attack and it is clear that it headed for home as soon as it had dropped its mine.

Probably damaged it strayed too close to the oil refineries at Emmerich on its return journey and was shot down by the flak defences. Young very nearly made it home but fell victim to German flak batteries on the coast of Holland and crashed into the sea. There were no survivors from either aircraft. McCarthy’s aircraft also nearly came to grief when it strayed over the heavily defended marshalling yards of Hamm, flying through them so low that a member of the crew remarked that the Germans didn’t need flak they only needed to change the points. Other aircraft were fired on by flak batteries on the return journey and at the coast. In all eight aircraft from the raid were lost resulting in the deaths of 53 men: three more became PoWs. The Results The flooding from the breached dams affected a wide area inundating many factories and damaging or destroying power stations, road and rail bridges, and other facilities. The loss of power and water for the Ruhr, crucial to many manufacturing processes, was also significant. Among a large number of towns temporarily deprived of water were Hamm, Hagen, Bochum and Dortmund.

The Germans had to draft in tens of thousands of workers to repair the damaged dams and other facilities, including at least 7000 workers removed from building the Atlantic Wall defences against Allied invasion with direct positive results a year later during the D-Day invasion. Both ammunition and coal production fell after the attack, just at the point that the Germans mounted their last significant offensive on the Eastern Front. The raid also had political consequences. Prime Minister Winston Churchill was visiting America at the time, and news of the attack’s success was telephoned through to him. He was able to make considerable capital from the attack and specifically referred to it in an address to the American Congress. American and British newspapers also made much of the attack with it appearing on the front page of British papers and the New York Times. The Germans also constructed elaborate defences at all the dams in the Ruhr and elsewhere, diverting considerable military and construction resources in the process. These included anti-aircraft batteries covering every dam – prior to the raid only the Mohne had any guns protecting it. The dams were also protected by mine barrages, ramps to deflect Upkeep mines, and wire net curtains strung in front to down low flying aircraft.

Although the human cost of the raid was high, and unsustainable on a regular basis, it should be remembered that it represented less than a 1000th of Bomber Command’s total losses, and the results of the attack, politically, economically and militarily undoubtedly made it worthwhile. Decorations: Air crew decorated 34 Victoria Cross – 1; Distinguished Service Order – 5; Distinguished Flying Cross – 10; Bar to Distinguished Flying Cross – 4; Conspicuous Gallantry Medal – 2; Distinguished Flying Medal 11; Bar to Distinguished Flying Medal – 1. The Dambusters | Welcome to the Dambusters Website BLOG Welcome to The Dambusters 617 Squadron, RAF, “The Dambusters” was a single squadron formed during the Second World War to carry out a single special and dangerous task. That operation “Chastise” has since become a legend in the annals of military history and it possess all the traditionally admired military attributes of originality, surprise and heroism coupled with a very dramatic outcome. Operation Chastise has in many ways overshadowed the later exploits of the men who formed the squadron.

Over the last few years some people have questioned the actions of Bomber Command and the actions taken to destroy the industrial and domestic centres of Germany during the Second World War. I myself, have taken a sideline to this question. I do not condone or sanction what Bomber Command did in its attempt to destroy the industry of Germany. I believe that the most dangerous thing on this planet is man, as soon as people start to attack each other, the animal instinct takes over. Each will try to outwit or kill one another singly or in bulk should the chance arise. To this end any aspect of war is bad. People can pass comment on certain aspects of all wars but I do not believe it is right to criticise someone or something that they were not involved in or with. Modern information technology has made vast amounts of statistical and anecdotal evidence available to the historian but what sometimes gets lost in this mass of information is the immediacy and emotion caused by the raw fear of warfare. Normal reactions to events judged sitting in the arm chair by the fire side are not the same as those as when ones life and existence is tangibly at risk.

This website is a tribute to the personnel of and people associated 617 Squadron, “The Dambusters” primarily during the war years. It also serves as a tribute to all those of Bomber Command from whom the members of 617 Squadron were drawn, who served, fought, suffered or died during the Second World War. Please sign our guestbook before you leave the Dambusters site. The story of the Dambusters | RAF Benevolent Fund‎ The story of the Dambusters Dambusters The story of the Dambusters The Dam Busters were members of the RAF's 617 Squadron who were specially assembled in March 1943 to bomb three dams in Germany's industrial heartland, the Ruhr Valley, just two months later. The raid, on the night of May 16/17, was called Operation Chastise and involved 133 aircrew flying 19 specially adapted Lancaster bombers. Upkeep bomb underneath a Lancaster bomber. Image: Ministry of Defence, Air Historical Branch.

Barnes Wallis, Vickers Armstrong's assistant chief designer, came up with the idea for a unique new weapon, popularly called 'the bouncing bomb', but known by its codename as 'Upkeep'. It was a 9,000 pound cylindrical mine that was designed to bounce across the surface of the water until it hit a dam. It would then sink and a hydrostatic fuse would detonate the mine at a depth of 30 feet. In order to operate effectively, Upkeep had to have backspin imparted on it before it left the plane. This required specialist apparatus that was designed by Roy Chadwick and his team at Avro, the company that also manufactured the Lancaster bombers. Turning the idea into reality There was initial opposition within Bomber Command to the idea of the Dambusters raid, with a number of key figures, including Arthur Harris, seeing it as a mad-cap scheme. But Barnes Wallis stuck to his guns and eventually won over Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, Chief of the Air Staff, who instructed Bomber Command to proceed with the operation. A new squadron 617 Squadron was formed at Scampton in Lincolnshire, with Wing Commander Guy Gibson as its commander.

Some of the men aircrew for 617 were hand-picked by Gibson but many were crews who had simply come to the end of their tours, or were due to start their second tours. Gibson had to assemble his aircrews and all the ground staff and auxiliary support needed in just three weeks. 617 Squadron group photo. Image: Ministry of Defence, Air Historical Branch. There were just eight weeks of intensive low-level training and technical preparation before the raid. Nobody in the squadron except for its most senior members was aware of the targets until the briefing on the day of the raid itself. Nonetheless, security was extremely tight and the aircrew were instructed to tell nobody about what they were doing. The targets Three targets were selected: the Möhne, the Eder and the Sorpe dams. The timing of the raid was contingent on a number of factors including weather, the lunar cycle and the ability to supply the modified planes and equipment. May 16/17 was only selected a few days prior to the raid. May was chosen because it was when the dams were at the fullest from melting snow in the mountains and would therefore have the greatest impact on bursting the dams.

The raid After being briefed, the aircraft set off in three waves on the evening of May 16, each wave targeting a different dam. Aerial photo of the breached dam. Image: Ministry of Defence, Air Historical Branch. The Möhne and the Eder were both successfully breached, while the Sorpe was damaged but not destroyed. However, the cost to 617 Squadron was significant. Of the 19 crews that had set out on the raid, eight did not return. In total, 53 men were killed and three more were presumed dead though it was later discovered that they had been taken prisoner and spent the rest of the war in POW camps. Reaction to the raid Air Vice Marshal Cochrane, Group Commander of 5 Group, sent a message to Gibson: "The disaster which you have inflicted on the German war machine was a result of hard work, discipline and courage.

The determination not to be beaten in the task and getting the bombs exactly on the aiming point in spite of opposition have set an example others will be proud to follow." The press also reported the operation as a great success, though for many involved in the raid, and particularly Barnes Wallis, this was severely tempered by the loss of life in 617 Squadron. Wallis wrote that: "For me the subsequent success [of the raid] was almost completely blotted out by the sense of loss of those wonderful young lives." The film The exploits of the Dambusters were made into a film in 1955 starring Michael Redgrave as Barnes Wallis and Richard Todd as Guy Gibson. Media clip Details Summary The final days of 617 Squadron based at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire. The famous Dambusters squadron faces an uncertain future as the plane they fly, the Avro Vulcan, is withdrawn from service. Description Part one. A caption introduces the film: RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire 2nd December 1981 Crews from 617 Squadron are seen in the base canteen, being scrambled and then the take off is shown under the main titles.

We then see similar scenes using archive footage to provide a background to 617 Squadron and their most famous mission, the Dambuster raids in Germany. Archive of world war two bomber crews preparing for take off, testing of a bouncing bomb and stills of the Dambusters crew, their commanding officer Guy Gibson and Barnes Wallis who designed the bouncing bomb (audio from the Dambusters film is also included) and material of the 617 Squadron survivors meeting King George VI after the successful raid. There is also a shot of a Lancaster flying over a dam in Derbyshire (probably from Dambusters feature film). Archive film providing a brief history of the Avro Vulcan bomber follows. This includes air to air shots and material from the 1952 Farnborough Air Show. We are then introduced, via captions, to the current members of 617 Squadron: Flight Lieutenant Mike Kay (captain); Flight Lieutenant Chalie Brakewell (Navigator Plotter); Flight Lieutenant Austen Dancey (Navigator Radar); and Flight Lieutenant Paul Beech (co-pilot). They are seen preparing for a flight and being briefed. By voice-over they each describe their role and how they plan a mission.

The crew are then seen boarding the Vulcan, making final flight checks, taking off and their training flight is seen from both inside the aircraft and air to air. The crew are seen drinking in the mess and in voice over they describe their feelings at coming to the end of their postings. Part two. 8th December 1981. Squadron Leader Chip Brunson arrives to tell the crew that they have nine flying hours left before the squadron is disbanded. The ground crew are then seen at work preparing a Vulcan for flight. 11th December 1981 Wing Commander John Herbertson (Officer in Charge 617 Squadron) briefs the crew for their final sortie. However there is heavy fog and the flight is in doubt. The Scampton kitchen staff are seen presenting a cake to the crew to mark their final flight. This is followed by scenes of high-jinks as the crew are 'kidnapped' by the ground crew and locked in a hangar. Archive material from the Dambusters feature film is then seen which cuts into the final Vulcan take-off (in fog).

The Vulcan is seen flying low over a dam in the Derwent valley in Derbyshire (location used by the Dambusters for training flights) with audio from the Dambusters film. Following the final flight the crew celebrate with drinks in the mess and discuss their future. A final caption says that 617 Squadron disbanded and left Scampton on 31st December 1981. Credits Central Independent Television wishes to thank the Royal Air Force for its co-operation in the making of this film.<br />Excerpts from The Dambusters by courtesy of EMI Studios<br />Cameraman - Gary Pinches<br />Sound Recordist - Bill Dodkin<br />Dubbing Mixer - Richard King<br />Production Assistant - Sheila Ford<br />Film Editor - John McCarthy<br />Produced and Directed by David Wright Tags Lossiemouth | The Dambusters The Dambusters BLOG Lossiemouth Royal Air Force Lossiemouth was built during 1938 and 1939 with 15 Flying Training School forming in April 1939.

The first aircraft to use Lossiemouth regularly were Oxfords and Harvards but, due to the location and good weather, many different types of aircraft were frequently diverted to the Station. In April 1940 the Station was handed over to Bomber Command and 20 Operational Training Unit was formed. Although mainly a training unit for Bomber crews during WWII, some operational raids were launched from Lossiemouth, the most important being 617 “The Dambusters” Squadron s successful attack on the Tirpitz, pride of the German battle fleet, on 12 November 1944. ??At the end of the hostilities the Station became a satellite unit of Milltown in Coastal Command, before being handed over to the Fleet Air Arm in 1946 and becoming HMS FULMAR, RNAS Lossiemouth. The Fleet Air Arm used Lossiemouth as a training station with pilots receiving their basic training before moving to Culdrose for instrument training. The final stage of training, (deck-landing) was practiced at Milltown, before students were allowed to land on HMS Theseus in the Moray Firth. ??

The Fleet Air Arm handed the Station back to the Royal Air Force on 28 September 1972 and D Flight, 202 Squadron, the Helicopter Search and Rescue Flight, was the first RAF unit to return. May 1973 saw the arrival of the Jaguar Conversion Team (renamed 226 Operational Conversion Unit on 1 October 1974) and in August 1973, 8 Squadron Shackletons transferred to Lossiemouth from nearby Kinloss. In December 1978, 48 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Regiment arrived to provide short-range defence with their Rapier surface-to-air missiles. In July 1979, 2622 (Highland) Royal Air Force Auxiliary Regiment was formed, tasked with the ground defence of the Station. From 1978 to 1981, 2 Tactical Weapons Unit flew Hunters from Lossiemouth prior to the reopening of RAF Chivenor. On 1 July 1991 the Shackletons of 8 Squadron retired from service and on 1 October 1991 237 Operational Conversion Unit was disbanded.

In 1992 however, another unit was added to the Station strength with the formation of 237 Field Squadron of the Territorial Army responsible for Airfield Damage Repair. Also during that year, the important links between RAF Lossiemouth and the District of Moray were further strengthened when the Station formally received the Freedom of Moray. Major changes took place in 1993 with the Buccaneer anti-shipping squadrons starting to be replaced by the Tornado. On 1 October 12(B) Squadron lost its Buccaneers but kept its squadron number-plate when re-equipped with Tornados. On 1 November, the Tornado Weapons Conversion Unit, renamed XV(Reserve) Squadron arrived from RAF Honington in Suffolk. In April 1994, 208 Squadron was disbanded and was replaced by 617 Squadron, which transferred with their Tornados from RAF Marham in Norfolk.

Although 48 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment left Lossiemouth for Honington on 1 July 1996, RAF Lossiemouth continued to be one of the busiest front-line stations in the RAF with 3 Tornado Squadrons, including XV(Reserve) Squadron, 16(Reserve) Squadron (previously 226 OCU) and D Flight, 202 Squadron with their Sea Kings. This line-up continued until July 2000, when the Jaguars left for RAF Coltishall in Norfolk; however, with the increase in size of XV(Reserve) Squadron in 1999 following the closure of the Tri-national Tornado Training Establishment at RAF Cottesmore, the arrival of the Tornados of 14 Squadron from RAF Brüggen in January 2001, RAF Lossiemouth has become the busiest fast-jet station in the Royal Air Force. In May 2001, 51 RAF Regiment Squadron was reformed and now sits with 2622 Auxiliary Squadron under the newly formed 5 Force Protection Wing Headquarters at RAF Lossiemouth.

Links BBC News - Dambusters: All the men who took part Dambusters: All the men who took part How effective was the Dambusters raid? A daring World War II night time raid on three dams in the early hours of 17 May 1943 immortalised the RAF's 617 Squadron as the "Dambusters". This is the the first time that photographs of all the men who took part in the mission have been published. BBC News has been working with family members and historians to gather the images since the 70th anniversary earlier this year. This content is best viewed on a desktop. 19 planes altogether 8 returned from the raid 133 Guy Gibson, Pilot, Commanding Officer Torger Taerum, Navigator Bertie Towner Foxlee, Front Gunner Thomas Simpson, Rear Gunner Eric Ewan, Front Gunner Arthur Buck, Rear Gunner Lancaster bomber crews on the dams raid consisted of seven members: pilot, flight engineer, bomb aimer, rear gunner, front gunner, navigator and the wireless operator. Each of the Dambusters aircraft had its own call sign starting AJ. Guy Gibson's plane, for example, was "AJ-G for George".

When a plane was shot down, or crashed, it was usually fatal for all the crew and so on the image above you will see those killed mostly appear in groups of seven. Three of the 133 are still alive today: George Johnson, Les Munro and Frederick Sutherland. Picture credits: Charles Foster, Imperial War Museum, Bomber Command Museum of Canada, Australian War Memorial, Valerie Ashton, Norma Bagshaw, Dorothy Bill, Grace Blackburn, Bolitho family, Bonhams, Lewis Burpee, Jean Feneron, Peter Fort, Garbett/Goulding collection, Simon Goodale, Bill Gracie, Irene Hopkins, Hopkinson family, Dominic Howard, Howarth family, Peter Humphries, Ibbotson family, Jarvie family, Jaye family, Liddell family, Maltby family, Les Munro, Nichols family, Nicholson family, Roberts family, RAF Halton apprentices archive, Taylor family, Tytherleigh family, Alan Wells, Wilkinson family, Williams family, Yeo family, Young family, Yahya El-Droubie, Warner family, Weller family, Gary Whitaker.

Production: Greig Watson, Dominic Bailey, Bella Hurrell, Christine Jeavans, Steven Connor, Ransome Mpini, Helene Sears More on This Story The Dambusters The Virtual Dambusters RAF 617 Squadron, The Dambusters, was formed in early March of 2004 by Charlie3 and Kizmet as WWII Online's first and (at that time) only squad dedicated to the sustained strategic bombing of the Axis Research Development and Production facilities One of the common themes we see in the average World War Two Online player is their interest in history, specifically the Second World War. The squad's name pays homage to the past and current legacy of the real RAF 617 Squadron and their ingenuity, tenacity and bravery. The virtual Dambusters have our own long history and an unparalleled reputation of ingenuity, dedication and excellence within the WWIIOL community. The Dambusters lead the WWIIOL community (Allied and Axis) in the development and implementation of strategic bombing strategy and tirelessly work to prove (and improve) the importance that strategic bombing plays in not only the Allied war effort, but the game as a whole.

We are a fun bunch of nuts who love raining down destruction on the Axis factories around the clock. Our bomber pilots like nothing better than taking flights of a dozen (even dozens) of bombers and escorts across enemy lines. Our escort pilots are among the best in the game. They cut through factory defenders with nerves of steel and get our bomber pilots to target and safely home. If you are a fighter pilot looking for action, quit chasing AI-hugging 109s on the deck, come on up to where the real air war is taking place. Our Squad currently has members from around the world. We cover numerous time zones and enjoy the comraderie of teamwork and the expanding of knowledge we gain, simply from talking with one another on teamspeak as we play the game. We welcome all bomber and fighter pilots, new and old alike. Although our main function is strategic bombing, our squad encourages enjoyment in the game and readily perform other missions as required by the Allied High Command. If the Axis make it, we're more than happy to blow it up!

We encourage you to delve into the complexities of World War Two Online, and more specifically, we invite you to join our "Team" as we continue to rain death and destruction down on the Axis hordes. This game encourages (even requires) teamwork and has a steep learning curve so you will find gameplay much more enjoyable, and you'll survive much longer, if you join a squad early on in your WWIIOnline playing career. With experience comes knowledge and the Dambusters are a knowledgebase waiting to teach you the complexities of this Massive Multi-Player Online game. So that you get a better idea of what we do, as well as the excitement and enjoyment that is possible in the game, we have some links on the left to videos of past Dambuster bombing missions and some training material on the Guide page, see the Tabs at the top. If you like what you see and are interested in joining one of the most well-known and well-respected squads in WWIIOL, ask for the Dambusters by name in game or stop by our forums and introduce yourself.

Even if you don't elect to join our ranks, we need the help of every Allied player to keep the Axis war machine at bay, so watch for our mission announcements on ch [55] and [3] and join us on a mission or two. All are welcome. So here's wishing you all Happy Hunting - and thus in the tradition of the real DamBusters, a still active squadron in the RAF today. We pay tribute to these awesome pilots by using their namesake in a massive video game called World War Two Online. Our squadron of gamers is tasked with levelling factories to affect Axis research, development and production in the game. We also provide close air support by raining bombs on Axis armour, artillery and troops. This is our story. Feel free to browse our forums or dropping us a line via info(at)617dambusters(dot)com , and if interested, please inquire about joining the team. RAF - 617 Squadron 617 Squadron Badge: On a roundel, a wall in fesse, fracted by three flashes of lightning in pile and issuant from the breach water proper - approved by King George VI in March 1944.

The broken dam is indicative of the successful attack on the dams in May 1943. Motto: Aprés moi, le déluge - 'After me, the flood'. Key Dates 1943 - Formed at RAF Scampton. 1943 - Carried out Operation Chastise against four Dams in the Ruhr using Barnes Wallis' "bouncing bomb". 2003 - Flew the RAFs first operational mission using the Storm Shadow stand off weapon as part of Operation Telic in Iraq. Current Aircraft and Location: Current Location: RAF Lossiemouth Battle Honours: Fortress Europe 1943-1945*, The Dams*, Biscay Ports 1944*, France and Germany 1944-1945*, Normandy 1944*, Tirpitz*, Channel and North Sea 1944-1945*, German Ports 1945*, Gulf 1991, Iraq 2003*.

(Honours marked with an asterisk, may be emblazoned on the Squadron Standard) History of 617 Squadron: Perhaps the most famous RAF squadron currently flying, 617 Squadron was formed at Scampton on 21 March 1943 specifically to undertake one operation - Operation Chastise - the breaching of dams vital to the German war effort. The Squadron's Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, was given free reign to comb other Lancaster squadrons for the crews he thought could best undertake the mission. For weeks, not even Gibson was told of the unit's task, only that low-level flying over water was essential, and training was undertaken in around the dams and reservoirs of Derbyshire. Chastise called for the breaching of three enormous dams in the Ruhr - the heart of German industrial production - by dropping a specially designed mine at exactly 60 feet (18.29m) and a speed 220 mph (354 km/h).

Nineteen specially modified Lancaster carried out the attack during the night of 16/17 May 1943, successfully breaching the Mohne and Eder dams, but failing with attacks on two others, the Sorpe and Schwelme. Wing Commander Gibson repeatedly flew over the Mohne and Eder dams to draw fire away from the attacking aircraft and was subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry. Thirty-two other members of the Squadron were also decorated but a total of eight aircraft and their crews were lost during the night. The unit was retained to carry out highly specialised attacks, many of which employed the 12,000lb (5,448kg) 'Tallboy' and 22,000lb (9,988kg) 'Grand Slam' bombs. The Squadron received Lincolns in September 1946 and Canberras six years later with which the Squadron took part in Operation Firedog in Malaya before disbanding on 15 December 1955.

On 1 May 1958, No 617 reformed at Scampton equipped with Vulcans, a type that remained on strength until 31 December 1981 when the unit disbanded. The following year, the Squadron reformed with Tornado GR1s at Marham, initially in the strike role, but latterly in the maritime strike mission based at Lossiemouth. Number 617 continued to fly the Tornado GR1 until it was replaced by the updated GR4 and it was with these that the squadron carried out the first attacks with the RAF's stand-off weapon - Storm Shadow - during Operation Telic in April 2003. Dambusters final flight - News stories - GOV.UK Dambusters final flight Afghanistan and Afghanistan This news article was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government An RAF squadron famous for carrying out one of the most daring raids of the Second World War has flown its final Afghanistan mission.

A 617 Squadron Tornado aircraft on the runway at Kandahar Airfield More than 70 years after its creation, the RAF ’s 617 Squadron, known as ‘The Dambusters’, has completed its last operational mission as a Tornado squadron with a flight in the skies over Afghanistan. This last flight was a mission in support of coalition troops that involved providing protection and relaying information from above directly to commanders on the ground; a task that has now been handed over to No 2 (Army Co-operation) Squadron from RAF Marham. 617 Squadron is due to disband on 1 April, but will reform as the RAF ’s first Lightning II squadron in 2018. A 617 Squadron Tornado aircraft at Kandahar Airfield [Picture: Sergeant Si Pugsley RAF , Crown copyright] Now their mission in Afghanistan is over, Wing Commander David Arthurton will bring the Dambusters back home to RAF Lossiemouth. He said: It is fitting that this milestone event occurred on operations, delivering decisive air power much as our forebears did in 1943.

Back then the squadron was employed on offensive operations whereas today we’re trying to set the conditions for enduring security and peace. I think there are many parallels – the team spirit that existed back then endures to this day and I think the focus on getting the job done is exactly the same. During their final operational tour, the Dambusters flew 188 missions, clocking up more than 1,500 flying hours supported by 11,352 engineering man-hours. Squadron Leader Mark Jackson carries out pre-flight checks before his last operational flight aboard a Tornado [Picture: Sergeant Si Pugsley RAF , Crown copyright] The pilot selected to lead the final flight, Squadron Leader Mark Jackson, said: As I stepped down from the aircraft for the last time, my emotions were mixed. Tinged with sadness is an overwhelming sense of achievement for what the squadron have accomplished. I am sure that the original Dambusters felt a similar poignancy at the end of their iconic raid and would echo how very proud I am of those that serve today. The Dambusters have a legacy of low-level flying from their origins in the Second World War.

In Afghanistan they carried out 14 ‘shows of force’ that involved flying fast and low to deter enemy forces from attacking coalition ground troops. Some of the air and ground crew of 617 Squadron shortly after the last operational Tornado flight [Picture: Sergeant Si Pugsley RAF , Crown copyright] Squadron Leader Jackson added: Most of us on the squadron asked to come here for a specific reason. Hopefully in some way we’re honouring the original Dambusters by continuing to be on operations. Even though we’re due to disband in March this year, we will reform as the RAF ’s first Lightning II Squadron in 2018. The squadron will continue to be at the forefront of air combat in defence of the UK. VIDEO: Dambusters final operational Tornado flight

Question: What RAF squardron number was nicknamed The Dambusters?
Answer: 617